Untamed Youth Jozi Heads To AND

Another-Day and Untamed Youth are the best of buddies. Didn’t you know? We’ve been hanging out for years and sharing many a party in Cape Town. But of late, we haven’t really hung out a lot in Jozi. So we thought we would catch up with Tommy Gun and talk about his plan for big moves and dances off for Untamed Youth Jozi in 2015.

AD: You guys have been in Jozi for almost 2 or 3 years now, what brought about the decision to make things bigger and take more risks?

TG: Great question A-D. Untamed Youth could really not have had a better introduction to the alternative party scene of Johannesburg than it did via Great Dane. It was right at the heart of a hip and happening inner city (Braamfontein), had an amazingly integrated crowd, and I can’t remember a single dud night that was had over that time. So the move (in my head at least) is more about providing a new experience, as well as stepping things up majorly in terms of infrastructure. And club is a full-on, world-class nightclub, and not the kind of place you just ‘pop in’ for a drink. It is similar to Fiction (where Untamed Youth is run in Cape Town) in many respects, in that the focus is geared towards the music. The best thing about And is the mind-bending Void sound system, which in my humble opinion is the best I have heard in the country. I think this in itself should give the monthly Jozi crowd more of a chance to get into our sound.

AD: AND is a relatively new club, mostly dealing with deep house and techno parties how do you think thats going to translate with the UY style or will you be adapting and evolving as UY grows?

TG: The Untamed Youth sound has already come a long way, it started out as very indie-orientated then grew to be more electronic and encompassing in the disco, nu-disco, electro, house and other categories. Untamed Youth has an outright fun, uplifting sound which doesn’t take itself all that seriously, but there are so many new ways to deliver that and evolution is only natural. Hopefully this will also come as a fresh addition to the existing nights at And, as it promises to be different.

AD: Some promoters feel that Joburg audiences aren’t very loyal to specific events or venues. That we’re always trying to keep the pace up and seeking out new places to hang out. Who is Untamed Youth speaking to? A younger audience? Is it trying to cultivate loyalty?

TG: Untamed Youth speaks mostly to an alternative, music-loving audience. Probably to the kind of people who have gone through the effort of getting Spotify to work on their computers in South Africa. Every promoter wants to build a loyal following, it’s irrelevant how many likes your page has on Facebook if those people are not actively engaged, so the move to And will be a big test (as well as a big opportunity) for Untamed Youth. The weekly Cape Town event is marketed as a student night as it is held on a Tuesday, but it is much more varied age-wise in Jozi as it is held on a Saturday (last one of each month).

AD: Last year you guys had quite a year with bringing a few international DJ’s to come and play with the locals. Can we expect more or less of this? It’s a tough time for promoters now-a-days as international acts are booked all the time and the audience is not really as excited as it use to be. How do you as a promoter feel about that?

TG: It was a fantastic year, Para One, Punks Jump Up and Jerry Bouthier from Continental/Kitsuné really lived up to their billing. That only encouraged me to keep things rolling this year and at the end of February, we’re collaborating for our biggest nu-disco booking yet. I picked up a few lessons last year though, I’d say it’s a tougher time dealing with the sinking Rand than with anything else. Other than that, I’m an eternal optimist and have faith that quality will be appreciated.

Thanks to Tommy Gun for taking time to answer our questions. Untamed Youth is gonna set it off hard this weekend and they hope to see you there. Just remember you can get in free if you attended sub_urban state. Another-Day might even make an appearance if it doesn’t clash too hard with our bedtimes.

Details:

Untamed Youth Jozi: It’s On

Saturday 31 January 2015 at And, 36 Stiemens St, Braamfontein

Doors open 22:00, club closes at 4am